Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff say asbestos removed; plans to replace aging boilers, air dryer and HVAC controls
Summary
Facilities staff reported asbestos removal at the courthouse boiler room and outlined near-term work to remove failing boilers and replace a 40-year-old air dryer for pneumatic systems, while seeking engineering options and funding through the county capital improvement plan.
Facilities staff reported at a Richland County Highway and Parks Committee meeting that asbestos in the courthouse boiler room was removed and contractors will soon remove the old boilers to prepare for new units.
"The asbestos was removed today. They came in, 08:00 this morning," Facilities Manager said, and added, "Precision can now come in and remove the boilers, get ready for the new ones to come in August." The staff member said the contractor estimated asbestos removal costs around $1,500 but that the final bill was "not sure" yet.
The staff report said the building’s pneumatic air dryer — described as roughly 40 years old — is failing and that water entering solenoids could create widespread failures. "When it quits completely, it’s gonna be a big problem," Facilities Manager said. The replacement air dryer was estimated at about $2,400.
Staff also described repeated compressor and freon repairs that recently left the building operating on fewer units; they said eight units are now running after repeated field repairs. On backup systems, staff noted a 50-year-old boiler in a small mechanical room and suggested adding a high-efficiency unit to reduce load on newer boilers.
An engineer who works with the contractor Precision and Ash Creek has prepared options to avoid a fully engineered state project, according to staff. "He thinks we can get around that without having to go through an engineered process and just replace what we currently have with new controls, new units," Facilities Manager said. Committee members asked for the consultant to bring options and nonbinding cost ranges to the next meeting and for staff to circulate summary options in advance.
Committee members discussed capital needs and the county capital improvement plan. Staff said they have requested CIP funding repeatedly and that larger capital replacements have been deferred for years. "We do have the funds set aside for the boiler," Facilities Manager said, and added that shorter-term funding is expected for the air conditioning work without pursuing short-term borrowing.
The committee requested a more detailed, written set of options from the engineer and from contractors Ash Creek and Precision before the next meeting so members can compare redundancy strategies (multiple smaller chillers vs. multiple rooftop units), estimated costs, and whether an engineered project or a non-engineered replacement approach will be necessary.
Staff said replacement timelines include removal and installation of boilers in August and ongoing evaluation of chiller/control approaches. No formal contract award was approved at the meeting; staff will return with options and cost information for committee review.
Smaller repair costs and deferred maintenance needs were also discussed; staff said many routine repairs (pumps, motors) can be covered through current building operating budgets, while larger system replacements will require capital planning and likely CIP requests.
